I am new to the Criterion Collection, so I don't really know all the tricks and how to "read the tea leaves" in terms of upcoming releases, so I apologize if this question is pointless.

But anyway, is there any chance that this set will be rereleased either on blu ray or DVD. I know that _The Woman in the Dunes_ is on blu ray, so should I just go ahead and buy that, or hold out for a rerelease of the box set?

Also, part of why I am asking, is I'm wondering if it's OOP status is a rights issue? Or was it not selling? I don't know. I guess any information or advice you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated.

There should be no rights issues to the films - as they are all licensed from the same source (Toho). That they broke up the boxset and released Woman in the Dunes on its own was a surprise to all of us and really doesn't make any sense from any perspective. They've done this before with Au revoir les enfants and technically 400 Blows (part of a boxset, but also released individually). So there is precedence, but it really makes you wonder what's going on with the other films in the set and wonder when they will be released as well.

The only thing I can think of is that only Woman in the Dunes was HD ready, so they just decided to go ahead and release it on its own. They've also been more inclined to not boxset films lately - by breaking up the Demy and BBS sets with individual releases - as I guess boxsets don't sell as well as individual films in many cases. Although for a counterpoint - MOC took their Teshigahara OOP because they were such poor sellers that MOC didn't want to reprint another batch to just sit on them for another 10 years.

Whatever the case, Criterion hasn't lost the rights to the other two films and they'll most likely be released eventually. Until then, I'd suggest holding off paying exorbitant reseller prices and instead just watch them on Filmstruck.

Another idea: a new box set is coming with A Ruined Map in place of Woman in the Dunes . . .

I am new to the Criterion Collection, so I don't really know all the tricks and how to "read the tea leaves" in terms of upcoming releases, so I apologize if this question is pointless.

But anyway, is there any chance that this set will be rereleased either on blu ray or DVD. I know that _The Woman in the Dunes_ is on blu ray, so should I just go ahead and buy that, or hold out for a rerelease of the box set?

Also, part of why I am asking, is I'm wondering if it's OOP status is a rights issue? Or was it not selling? I don't know. I guess any information or advice you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated.

There should be no rights issues to the films - as they are all licensed from the same source (Toho). That they broke up the boxset and released Woman in the Dunes on its own was a surprise to all of us and really doesn't make any sense from any perspective. They've done this before with Au revoir les enfants and technically 400 Blows (part of a boxset, but also released individually). So there is precedence, but it really makes you wonder what's going on with the other films in the set and wonder when they will be released as well.

The only thing I can think of is that only Woman in the Dunes was HD ready, so they just decided to go ahead and release it on its own. They've also been more inclined to not boxset films lately - by breaking up the Demy and BBS sets with individual releases - as I guess boxsets don't sell as well as individual films in many cases. Although for a counterpoint - MOC took their Teshigahara OOP because they were such poor sellers that MOC didn't want to reprint another batch to just sit on them for another 10 years.

Whatever the case, Criterion hasn't lost the rights to the other two films and they'll most likely be released eventually. Until then, I'd suggest holding off paying exorbitant reseller prices and instead just watch them on Filmstruck.

Another idea: a new box set is coming with A Ruined Map in place of Woman in the Dunes . . .

Possibly. But I thought the long-standing issue with this film - and thus it would have been a complete Teshigahara/Abe set - was never to allow subtitles translating the original soundtrack. Unless that was somehow addressed.

Can anyone identify the filming locations in The Face of Another? I'm thinking of visiting Tokyo in several months, and I am interested to see if it is possible to find any of the film's locations. I know that Teshigahara purposely tried to avoid landmarks and specific locations, like with Woman in the Dunes, to create a more "universal" setting, but if someone could direct me to some of the locations, from the cafe in the building where Okuyama and the doctor view the construction site, to the train station's tunnels where Okuyama and his wife converse, or the German beer hall, I would appreciate it!